


Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and werewolves

by Bacner



Series: A better universe. [11]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animal Mascots, Australia, Cuba, F/M, Flashbacks, Gen, In Media Res, no one dies, werewolves - Marvel universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 07:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23967271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bacner/pseuds/Bacner
Summary: Post-Iliad, S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to get some new recruits. It isn't easy, and Grant & Kara aren't helping much either.
Relationships: Grant Ward & Kara Lynn Palamas, Lincoln Campbell & Raina (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Other Relationships
Series: A better universe. [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678087
Kudos: 1





	Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and werewolves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [joli_camarillo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/joli_camarillo/gifts).



> Disclaimer: everyone here belongs to Marvel

"So," Kara Lynn Palamas, formerly agent 33 of S.H.I.E.L.D., turned to her companions, Grant Ward (formerly also of S.H.I.E.L.D. – and of Hydra) and Raina (no current affiliation, though she was, perhaps, an InHuman), "this is one of the last places that I remember, before I was captured."

"This isn't a safe house," Ward made half a statement and half a question, as he half-opened and half-forced the doors. "Or at least none of the models that I know of. The design is not S.H.I.E.L.D., or Hydra, or the alien ship/hideout of the Puerto Rico. This is something new."

"I know," Kara Lynn nodded. "I- I can almost remember what it was. It- it was connected with my research, you know?"

Grant nodded with understanding, Raina – with less so. Unlike Coulson's team, Kara Lynn and her old coworkers had been more concerned with studying various 0-8-4 than acquiring them. Thus, they were less suited for combat, and consequently, a Hydra team had destroyed them all – except for Palamas herself, who escape, until Bobbi Morse sold her out. So much for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s supposed values.

"All right," Grant nodded, as he looked in. "This is a start. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. will not help us with you, we will have to do it ourselves. Do the insides look familiar to you?"

"Yes!" Kara Lynn nodded enthusiastically. "I recognize these letters, these markings. They are Egyptian!" she blinked. "I don't know what they say," she dimmed noticeably, "but they are ancient Egyptian, I just know it!"

"All right," Grant nodded sagely. "The Hydra cell in Egypt was torn down during the last civil war in this country – by the native forces. There is no S.H.I.E.L.D. presence in that country nowadays too. We can go there and find a specialist-"

"I was the specialist back then," Kara Lynn said bitterly. "Now I can't remember anything."

"Not true," Ward said gently, as both women turned and faced him. "Remember how you relearned Spanish? You read the words. You listened to me talk to you in Spanish, and then you remembered. Hell, you even remembered your accent – what? What did I say wrong now?"

"Behind you," Raina said weakly, as Grant turned around and saw what his companions were looking at: some sort of a bear-dog hybrid with a touch of lion thrown in.

"Oh. You don't remember running into any of those?" Grant asked, even as the animal lunged, and tried to take him down, using its body weight like a bear or a big cat, rather than its jaw as a wolf would.

Grant did not have time to dodge, nor did he draw any weapon: rather, he grabbed the animal by its neck and did his best to choke it into submission. "Please don't hurt it," Raina said slowly, as her new companion, (well, one of them, actually), appeared to be actually gaining the upper hand. "I don't think that it really wants to hurt you – it is just lonely and confused."

"Well, if it is, then we can take it on – as our mascot," Grant grunted, as Raina cautiously petted the animal's nose. The bear-dog (let us call it that), opened its mouth, big enough to bite-off Raina's hand and swallow it completely – but it did not. Rather, it took a sniff, licked Raina's limb in question and lolled its tongue in a friendly grin.

"Definitely a keeper," Ward exchanged a look with Kara Lynn.

_Some time later…_

Lincoln stared with a very big curiosity at his surroundings. "So, this is Australia," he said, stating the obvious, perhaps, but considering that he had never been to the so-called Lost Continent, the statement was justified, perhaps. "Never been to this place before."

Raina patiently nodded. The local parrots and other exotic birds, the trees and other strange-looking plants, the weather, the view of their new 'base' – it was both a little and a lot to take in.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has it very different," Lincoln finally got down to the point.

"True," Raina agreed, "but they're a proper organization and all. We – not so much. We got a lab – my lab, but not it can be our lab, several bungalows, a bigger place for meetings, several warehouses and I think this is it. Ward and Ms. Palamas may have an understanding without landlady, but even they don't want to push her too hard, less she pushes back harder."

Lincoln nodded, but more in thought than in confirmation. The 'landlady' in question was someone else; the young man had heard of her kind of Jiaying, but Jiaying herself had been a liar, so Lincoln decided to give anyone she had slandered a chance. Thus, when he had shaken the hand of the scarred woman with dye in her hair, he was rewarded with a look that was almost grateful and shy? Interesting, but Lincoln did not intend to let his guard down, ever again. "We're sharing the lab?" he asked instead, and was rewarded by an affirmative nod. "Are we, um, sharing, a bungalow too?"

"Yes, but don't worry – I'm not going to sleep with you, and you aren't the type to sleep with me either," Raina shrugged. "You need a proper wife and woman, not a former street hustler turned Saguaro cactus, for example."

"I don't know," Lincoln twitched. Maybe Raina was just going reverse psychology on him, but firstly, it was rather flattering, and second... "You have changed since I last saw you. You no longer have spines on your head – they look more like palm fronds, yeah?"

Raina blinked. "I need a mirror," she declared in a voice that was not unlike what it was before her change, and walked off looking for one.

Feeling rather bemused, Lincoln followed her. It was nice to be around a woman that was not any agent, after all.

_Meanwhile..._

"They look adorable together," Kara Lynn commented from her post by the window, as she and Ward observed the interactions of their friend – and her new friend. "Grant, don't they look adorable together?"

"Kara, the last person that you thought was adorable was Leo Fitz," Grant said crossly.

"Still do! If he ever becomes our enemy, I just may capture him and lead him on a leash," Kara said wistfully. "I mean yeah, Bobbi was just evil, but she had some interesting ideas about spicing up your life..." she paused and added: "Have I mentioned to you the fact that you aren't like Bobbi? I hate to think what I would've become if I remained after her influence?"

"Kara," Grant said patiently, "just forget about Morse; she made her bed and will lie in it, while you have made your own, and it's a new one-"

"Yes, well, what about your ex?" Kara replied archly, as she pointed out to the TV. There, caught on some grainy footage (even S.H.I.E.L.D. agents get careless from time to time), was still recognizable Daisy, Mack, and a few other people. "You know, this could've been you-"

"Excuse me, just a minute now," Grant hit the pause button on the remote, freezing the picture. "I recognize the character here – it's a Tattaglia."

"Is that something like an UnBodied, or an InHuman?" Kara Lynn was genuinely curious, here.

"I mean, that this is a member of an organized crime family – a werewolf crime family, to be exact," Ward said thoughtfully. "I don't know if werewolves are affected the same way that humans with alien blood tend to be, but since they don't really eat fish, preferring to go for red meat every time, odds are that S.H.I.E.L.D. is being set-up – again."

"Okay and you know all of this how?" Kara Lynn stared incredulously at her – lover? Friend? "Is this part of the Index that I forgot?"

"Not exactly..."

_Flashback…_

Grant Ward was enjoying his time off, though he would never tell this to John. Yes, he owed the man everything, and if it meant to be working for S.H.I.E.L.D. – then so be it. That said, it was not too bad in being away from John, either, and Ward did love the wild outdoors. Maybe it was the side effect of being stuck in them for months and years, but Ward did not care. He had some time to himself, not even John could interfere in the perimeters of this mission (or maybe he just did not care), and he was free!

...Wait, where did that last part come from?

Grant did not have time to dwell on it, as he suddenly noticed some movement in the forest off the road, and this were the Rockies after all, so he stopped and waited. Why did he stop and wait rather than pick up speed and go? Because he was curious, because he was arrogant, because he was naive – take your pick. Whatever the reason was, he stopped and waited – and was rewarded, when a rather large wolf emerged from the trees. There was something about the animal – the look in its eyes, the posture of its legs – that was somehow almost human.

Yet there was nothing remotely human about the animal's muzzle and teeth, which were currently depicted quite openly in Ward's face.

The latter blinked. "Do we have a problem?" he asked the animal, focusing perhaps on the eyes rather than the teeth. "Because I don't remember you in my past years, and I would never forget a face like yours."

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say, as the wolf charged, aiming low. Ward's reflexes were already good, even back then, as the animal's jaws snapped shut on one of his feet. Rather than yell in pain, however, Grant launched a very formidable punch upon the animal's kidneys, and it connected solidly, causing the wolf to retreat from him, but Grant was not finished. "You want a piece of me?" he yelled loudly, getting back onto his feet. He was armed, of course, but was loathe to waste ammo for some reason. "'Cause here I am, come and get me!"

And the wolf came, this time aiming high – just the right height for Grant to grab him by the neck and begin to choke. Unlike bears or big cats, a wolf's claws are short, and its legs are better designed to run rather than to fight, so the animal was at a disadvantage – again.

"I say," a feminine voice sounded from behind Ward – the woman had snuck upon him while he was distracted, "can you please let him go?"

Aware that the speaker might be armed, Ward let his furry opponent go and turned to face the woman – who was armed, and so was her retinue. "I say myself," he said coolly, "but is this your relative, madam?"

"Yes," the woman sounded much more disgusted than surprised. "Unfortunately, he is my relative."

Surprised and confused, Grant glanced in that direction and stiffened, as he saw his recent opponent shape shifting from a wolf into a more human-like body shape. "You're werewolves," he said flatly (mostly because he was too shocked).

"Yes," the woman nodded. "I'm signora Tattaglia. I believe you may've heard of us from our mutual friend John?"

_Flashforward_

"And then what happened?" Kara Lynn asked, her face – very attentive, and her eyes – big and shining with genuine curiosity.

"Nothing," Ward replied with regret – he honestly loved it when the former agent 33 was looking at him this way: it brought out the best in her, as far as he was concerned. "I'm no werewolf; you know what I am."

"You mean – who you are," Kara Lynn replied calmly.

"That too," Grant agreed. "In any case, I was always cautious of John's friends; I trusted the man himself without questions, but his friends, or so-called friends? They were something else. Sometimes I wondered if John really did have any friends – this really should've been a big clue for me..."

"Everything is obvious in hindsight," Kara Lynn shrugged. "Let us go of our past and think about our present."

"All right," Grant took a deep breath. "What do you want to talk about in regards to us?"

"Actually, I wanted to hear more about the werewolves," Kara admitted sheepishly – Ward's stories from the pre-Bus era were always fun to listen, at least to her. "Did you recognize the man on the TV since then?"

"No, the last time I met him was about a year or so ago, when I was with Garrett, and the president of Cuba had kicked us out."

"...Say what?"

"You should've seen it. There was John, doing his best to convince el Presidente that our goals were similar at this point, and then in came Quinn, over the moon with the fact that he finally reunited with his Gravitonium, and promptly kisses John on both cheeks. In front of the aforementioned president, who is an old school Communist, who possibly plans to outlive the democratic regime of the USA and all. The man is not amused, and Quinn, oblivious to everyone and everything else around him, broadly hints to Garrett that John can do anything he wants with him in return and leaves, shaking his butt very provocatively. No words were said, but we packed our bags and left Cuba in two hours, leaving behind something of an impromptu trap for Coulson and his team."

"And the werewolves?" Kara Lynn asked when she stopped giggling.

"Oh, I recognized the man from the Rockies as one of the bodyguards – though only because he hit on Raina while we were all being distracted by Quinn," Grant paused, sobering up. "It's not what you think – I didn't trust Raina at the time, I was worried that she might be making a deal behind our backs..."

"You're very adorable when you blush," Kara Lynn said, sobering herself, while looking away. (She was currently with her mask off, so she was feeling a bit self-conscientious, even though they were alone.)

"That's not the word I like to associate with myself," Grant grimaced. "It's more of Fitz's thing." He paused. "If there was a thing that had damned me, it was him. Him and Simmons. When he came and did to John what he had done, he became a hero. I, on the other hand? Lost any chance of doing that-"

"Stop," Kara Lynn said firmly, and Grant obediently stopped. "What I told you about self-flagellation? If I'm to stop it, so shall you." She paused. "Now, since it was you who did it this time, I get to decide what to do – and I know exactly what. You're going to send an e-mail to S.H.I.E.L.D. with the info about your old friend, so to speak."

"Okay," Grant nodded, albeit with minimum hesitation. "But why?"

"Because you want to," Kara Lynn shrugged. "Otherwise you wouldn't have started talking about Leo Fitz of all people."

"... Ok."

_Meanwhile…_

Leo Fitz was a really happy man. He had Jemma back, so a large part of his life was back to being to normal. True, Jemma herself was not back to normal, but after getting her back to Earth through the – now destroyed – portal, this was going to be the easy part. After all, they did have Dr. Garner on their side, and though the man appeared to have some reservations towards Coulson, either he did promise to help, personally, or via his coworkers who might have better knowledge and experience with traumatized women. Despite S.H.I.E.L.D.'s general level of secrecy, nobody objected other than for the sake of objection: Jemma clearly did need professional help, and a lot of it, and S.H.I.E.L.D. itself could use more members in it, InHuman or otherwise. Thus, it was with a light heart that Leo Fitz checked his inbox and blinked at the new message. He read it thoughtfully, and then forwarded it to Coulson with a request for further instructions.

_Meanwhile…_

Coulson found the new arrival – currently associated with some interesting data – in discussion with Andrew Garner, even as the man was assessing him. Coulson had to give the new arrival his due – either the information was false, or he was that good an actor. For personal reasons, Coulson was leaning towards the former, but for the benefit of the doubt, he led Jose/Joey into the new arrival's room, just to see the reactions of both of them.

Well, he certainly got it – from Joey. The man in question swore something in Spanish and promptly hid behind Mack, who was accompanying Andrew – just in case.

"I saw you, you know?" the other InHuman (or not an InHuman?) said, grinning rather wolfishly indeed. "You can't hide from the justice."

"Yeah I can, bitch!" Joey yelled bravely from behind Mack. Apparently, this is not the best thing to say to a werewolf of any gender, as his interlocutor promptly shifted into his animal form and charged, ignoring Mack – in a matter of speaking. For several minutes, the three of them composed some sort of an embodiment of chaos, as Joey ran away from the werewolf, and the two of them formed circles around Mack, and the man in question just did his best to keep his balance.

"Enough!" Daisy, who until then had been keeping quiet, and let Andrew do all the talking and Mack – all the intimidating (not that it was needed – the new arrival had been cooperating, after all), released a small fraction of her powers – just enough to rattle the room. "Someone better start explaining now!"

Surprisingly, the werewolf complied, shifting back into his human shape and explaining in that same passable (yet accented) English, that he was a member of Cuban Secret Service (well, it's analogue), and had been sent to retrieve the American spy who had infiltrated the Cuban government and ran away with documents under the guise of a political refugee.

For his part, Joey/Jose did not deny it, but instead added his own details, which consisted that his current biography was part of his cover/protection detail/arrangement with the CIA, which had gone haywire after the whole fish pill incident, and so he currently had no idea how to proceed.

"I do," Daisy said, sounding more upset than angry by now. "Firstly – you," she turned to Joey/Jose/whoever he really was. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s offer still stands – we can train you to use your powers, to become a better person...eventually, according to Dr. Garner, at any rate. Or- or I guess we can hand you over back to CIA if you want to, because according to Lance and Bobbi all of those agencies already hate us, not because of the Hydra confusion back at the UN, but purely on our own merit," she added to Coulson. "I don't want to make things worse. It's your choice," she turned back to Joey.

"I'll stay," Joey decided, after some thinking. "It's the better option...I hope."

"That's the spirit," Daisy said, albeit somewhat weakly herself. "And, uh, you, sir?" she turned to the werewolf. "I know that you're different, but it's courtesy to extend to you the same offer, since you went to all the trouble of infiltrating us and all."

"Not really," the shapeshifter had clearly a nerve struck. "It's lately become something of an initiation ritual in certain circles – to infiltrate you people and see what we can find here." He paused. "And yes, my common sense did point out that what I said is mean, but I think that the doctor over there can help me with this, yeah?"

"Very much so," Andrew nodded in agreement. "What? I did explain both to you and agent Mackenzie that the man in question-"

"Stop," Mack sighed. "You explained, yes, but in psychological terms. This would make as much sense as if I explained anything to May in engineering terms-"

"Why would you want to explain anything to Melinda in engineering terms?"

"Um," Mack began to explain, "uh-"

"Okay!" Daisy said brightly. "And on this note we're going to separate back the other two," she pointed to the two Latin-American gifted who had started this particular mess, "while I and DC go and have a talk of our own, see?"

And this was just what they did.

_Meanwhile…_

"So, Sk-Daisy, what do you want to talk to me about?" Coulson said in an about hour, as they were doing some other, not-so-urgent but still pressing duties on S.H.I.E.L.D.

"I don't know exactly – just how you're holding up, maybe?" the latter confessed. "Morse – before we had rescued Joey – had once recommended to me a novel, The Man Who Was Thursday. It is a really strange mystery novel-"

"-That consists of a secret society that is just full of various members of the various law enforcement organizations that had infiltrated it," Coulson finished. "I've read it once. Honestly? I can live with British humour if it's Monty Python. However, British literature? You've got to love it in the first place, because otherwise it won't work."

"I see that you've read it already too, because otherwise? Spoilers alert," Daisy snickered briefly, reminding Coulson of her old, Skye self, before turning back to her current state of behavior. "Seriously though, I'm guessing that it's been eating at you too?"

"Yes, and Daisy? Good work with how you have handled this situation," Coulson nodded at his student. "You've made the right call in giving them a chance."

"Thank you," Daisy slightly preened – she had become a confident powerful agent, but compliments from the boss were still appreciated. "I still got a long way to go, if I'm to crack people the way you did with those guys."

"Yes, well," Coulson flushed, "we had help." And he explained the situation to his protégé.

"...You think this is Ward, trying to be nice? Honestly, after the way he and agent 33 kidnapped Bobbi-"

"Either that, or that was one of the agencies, trying to provoke us into something like what has went earlier," Coulson looked more uncomfortable with this suggestion than Daisy's. "Sk-Daisy, we need allies in the US government, yes, but not the ones who jerk us around, like puppets. I, for one, had it back with Garrett, when he pretended to be the Clairvoyant."

"So you want cooperation, but on a more equal ground?"

"On a more honest ground would be a start," Coulson admitted. "Are you going to talk to Fitz about it?"

"I would, but he's with Jemma, and for now? Whenever Jemma sees me, she hides behind Fitz, grasps him very tightly, and just cries," Daisy admitted, sounding very sad herself. "I'm not going to go through that unless it's needed. DC, Leo and Jemma really need our help."

"I know," Coulson said sadly. "You want a hug?"

Wordlessly, Daisy walked over and gave him one. As they stood there, in the office, hugging, both of them realized acutely just how much they missed Melinda May...

_Meanwhile…_

"All right, so before we get down to the meeting abroad," Grant told his people as he and Kara Lynn finally joined them. "Any preliminary questions?"

"Yeah," Alisha nodded, as she sat there, flanked by her twin boyfriends, "did you and Palamas get to the second base already?"

"Yes, and if we ever have a child, you'll get to be our exclusive babysitter," Kara Lynn glared at the ex-commando woman.

"Gee, thanks," Alisha actually almost blanched – she had her own issues with children.

"For now, however, you get to compliment Raina on her hair," Kara Lynn 'relented'.

"Raina, it looks nice – what have you done to it?" Alisha asked with genuine curiosity, because instead of spikes, Raina did sprout some new fronds – some broad and leathery, some narrower and curlier, upon her head.

"Nothing," Raina carefully avoided the answer. "But, uh, thanks for getting into contact with your cousin and her boyfriend – they really helped with the entire ancient Egyptian to modern English translation."

"Eh, it's been nice to get in touch with Tova; we kind of drifted apart when I went to Li Shi," Alisha shrugged. "Anyhow, what does the translation say?"

"It's not a text, it's a map, hence why we've been having so many issues with it," Kara Lynn admitted. "A map with direction to Greece, of all places – ancient Egyptians didn't get along with Greeks; they didn't get along with everybody, actually. Very insular and self-sufficient, they were."

"...Okay," one of the twins opened his mouth, caught the look in Grant's eye and closed it.

"So are we going to Greece to see what's there instead?" his brother asked.

"Yes," Kara Lynn said quietly. "After all, maybe our mascot will find himself a girlfriend there?"

There was a pause as the others just stared at the bear-dog, who stared back at them – and they were sold (in a matter of speaking), and so they all went packing.

**Author's Note:**

> AN – werewolves are a part of Marvel™ canon, though they are usually associated with X-Men. But, since no live action TV series for X-Men for now, the werewolves will have to bother the agents instead. The agents can handle it, after all.


End file.
